Kerry starts talks in Rome with Syrian opposition leader

World powers were to hold key talks with the Syrian opposition in Rome on Thursday after Washington suggested it was ready to boost support to rebels battling President Bashar al-Assad's regime.

Ahead of The Friends of Syria meeting in the Italian capital, the new US Secretary of State John Kerry met with Syrian opposition leader Ahmed Moaz al-Khatib.

Kerry has said that the Syrian opposition needs "more help" in the fight against Assad and that Washington wants to speed up the crisis-hit country's political transition.

The Rome talks come two days before an important meeting of the main opposition National Coalition on Saturday in Istanbul, where the umbrella group is to elect a prime minister and government to run parts of Syria seized from Assad's control.

The Washington Post reported Wednesday that the White House was considering a policy shift to supply rebels with "non-lethal" aid, including armoured vehicles and perhaps even military training.

A US State Department official refused to confirm the report, but said Washington wanted to help the opposition maintain "the institutions of the state" in areas under their control.

The Syrian conflict, which has killed at least 70,000 people since erupting in March 2011, has shown no signs of slowing down, with fierce battles on Wednesday rocking towns near the capital Damascus.